Byrne committed for high-finance thriller

“Capital” is co-written by Costa Gavras, his director son Romain Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg and Karim Boukercha, who co-wrote Romain Gavras’ “Our Day Will Come.”

It adapts Stephane Osmont’s satirical novel, published in 2004.

Kassovitz plays the topper at Europe’s Phoenix Bank, the target of a hostile takeover by U.S. hedge funds. Byrne plays a representative of Phoenix’s new shareholders,

Budgeted at €8 million ($11.4 million), “Capital” is skedded to shoot in late September in Paris, London, Miami, New York and perhaps Tokyo.

Film will shoot in French and English as the situation requires.

Set up at Costa Gavras Paris-based KG Prods., “Capital” has pulled down a Gallic Centre National du Cinema project-stage subsidy.

Producer Michele Ray-Gavras said she is in negotiations with an independent distributor and a French film company to bankroll “Capital.” She is also in talks with Gallic paybox Canal Plus and pubcaster France Televisions for French TV rights. The idea for a film on high finance came to Costa Gavras after he read “Total Capitalism,” written by former Credit Lyonnais president Jean Peyrelevade. The book insists the world is run by a limited group of shareholders, particularly those controlling banks.